Characters (Arden-Vul)

Arden-Vul > Rules > Characters

Stats

Generating Stats

• 4d6, keep 3, down the line.
• May swap the values of a pair of stats of your choice.
• Apply racial modifiers.

Stat Mod

• 0: dead or incapacitated
• 1: -5
• 2: -4
• 3: -3
• 4-5: -2
• 6-8: -1
• 9-12: +0
• 13-15: +1
• 16-17: +2
• 18: +3
• Above 18: +(stat value - 15)

Stat Effects

• All
  • Add MOD to stat checks using the stat.
  • Stats may be damaged by effects, lowering their rating and effective MOD. If a stat reaches 0, the character is dead or incapacitated, depending on the nature of the cause.
  • If your class's prime requisite stat MOD (or average value, for multiple primes) is...
    • -2 or lower: -20%
    • -1: -10%
    • 0: none
    • +1: +5%
    • +2 or higher: +10%
• Strength
  • Add STR to melee attack bonus.
  • Add STR to melee and thrown damage.
  • Affects weight capacity (see Encumbrance).
• Intelligence
  • May learn INT extra languages, beyond those granted by class and race.
  • Literacy: <6 (illiterate), 6-8 (basic), 9+ (literate)
• Wisdom
  • Add WIS to saves against spells that affect your mind or spirit, including illusions.
  • Grants extra spells to Clerics (but not Druids)
• Dexterity
  • Add DEX to ranged attack bonus (but not damage).
  • Add DEX to defense.
  • When using melee finesse weapons, you may use DEX instead of STR for attack bonus (STR is still used for damage).
  • Improves certain skills available to Thieves, Bards, and Hunters.
• Constitution
  • Add CON to hp gained at each level, up to 9th.
  • You can hold your breath for Constitution rounds before suffocating.
• Charisma
  • You may command up to (Charisma / 2) henchmen, rounded down.
  • +2 CHA or better can grant +A to Reaction Rolls. -2 CHA or worse can grant -A.
  • The loyalty rating of each of your henchmen starts at 7+CHA.

Stat Checks

• Roll d6+MOD vs DC (often 4 or 6)
• ???Roll d20 + (stat-10) vs DC (often 11, 16, or 21)

• Stat Checks
  • All
    • Relevant background skills (crafts, etc)
  • Str
    • Feats of Strength (bend bars, lift gates, open stuck doors)
    • Breaking out of grapples
    • Swimming
  • Int
    • Arcane research
    • Medicine
  • Wis
    • Reading a person or situation
  • Dex
    • Escaping grapples
    • Rough climbing and balancing
  • Con
    • Enduring labor without becoming fatigued
    • Successfully resting in poor conditions
  • Cha
    • Persuasion, deception, and rapport

Class & Race

Classes

• Mage (Mage)
  • HD: d4 (+1 heroic hp)
  • Base Attack: (level-1) / 3 (rounding down)
  • Base Save: (0.3 x (level-1)) + 6 (round normally)
    • Doom (+0), Transform (+2), Breath (+0), Spells (+3)

• Priest (Cleric, Druid)
  • HD: d8 (+2 heroic hp)
  • Base Attack: (level-1) * 0.7 (rounding down)
  • Base Save: (0.4 x (level-1)) + 4 (round normally)
    • Doom (+6), Transform (+3), Breath (+0), Spells (+1)

• Rogue (Bard, Thief)
  • HD: d6 (+2 heroic hp)
  • Base Attack: (level-1) / 2 (rounding down)
  • Base Save: (0.25 x (level-1)) + 4 (round normally)
    • Doom (+3), Transform (+4), Breath (+0), Spells (+1, and use 2x level when calculating "base")

• Warrior (Warrior, Hunter)
  • HD: d10 (fighter +3 heroic hp, hunter +2 heroic hp)
  • Base Attack: (level-1)
  • Base Save: (0.65 x (level-1)) + 3 (round normally)
    • Doom (+3), Transform (+2), Breath (+2), Spells (+0)

Races

• Human
• Elf / Alfar
• Homunculus / Goblin
• Trollkin
• Hand of Ptah / Dwarf
• Mi'it (Bast-ling) / Grimalkin

Hit Points

• 1st to 9th: (level)dHD + (level * CON)
  • May use the average value of class HD instead of rolling, in which case, round up.
  • Optional (if rolling): each level, reroll your full pool of HD. It becomes your new HP if higher than your current value.
• Above 9th: +(class heroic HP) per level

Attack & Defense

Attack Bonus

• Melee: Base + STR (or + DEX w/ finesse weapon)
• Ranged: Base + DEX

Damage Bonus

• Melee: +STR

Defense Bonus

• Base: armor bonus + shield bonus + DEX - 1
  • Immobility, surprise, etc can remove shield and DEX bonuses (but not penalties).

Static Attack and Defense

• Static Attack: 12 + attack bonus
• Static Defense: 11 + defense bonus

Saves

Rolling Saves

• 1d20 + base bonus + type modifier for class vs DC 20
  • Stronger or weaker effects may alter the DC.

Type Modifier

• Doom (poison, death magic, paralysis, slipping and falling)
• Transform (petrification, polymorph)
• Breath (breath weapons)
• Spell (spells from casters and magic items, unless Doom or Transform supersedes)
  • Effects from Rods, Staves, and Wands (and other magic items) are just a little weaker than proper spells. Take +1 to saving throws against them.
  • Add WIS to saves against spells that affect your mind or spirit, including illusions.

Skills

• Listen (1)
  • Hear faint noises or eavesdrop at a distance when quiet and focusing.
• Search (1)
  • Notice traps, secret doors / compartments, and other subtle clues while searching (usually for a Turn or more).
• Sneak (2)
  • Go unnoticed when moving slowly and cautiously, gaining surprise or avoiding an encounter.
• Survival (1)
  • Foraging , fishing, or hunting for food in the wilderness, locating / producing shelter, starting fire in adverse conditions.

Some races and classes get bonuses to these base skill values.

Skill Checks

• Roll equal or under your skill rating
  • Roll: d6 (average), d4 (easy), or d8 (hard)
  • Modifiers are added to or subtracted from your skill rating (beneficial or adverse conditions, good or bad tools, etc).

Encumbrance & Speed

• Base Speed: 40'
• Use the higher Load level of your carried weight and armor worn.
• Add Strength Modifier to the weight limits for each load level.

Load Levels

• Unencumbered
  • 1x Speed, +1 Sneak, +1 to Climbing/Jumping, +1 Swimming.
• Light Load
  • 3/4x Speed.
• Medium Load
  • 1/2x Speed, lose any Sneak bonuses (but not penalties), -1 Climbing/Jumping, -2 Swimming.
• Heavy Load
  • 1/4x Speed, -1 Sneak and lose any Sneak bonuses (but not penalties), -2 Climbing/Jumping, -4 Swimming.

Weight

• 0 to 35 lbs: Unencumbered
• 36 to 70 lbs: Light
• 71 to 105 lbs: Medium
• 106 to 150 lbs: Heavy

Armor

• Leather: Unencumbered
• Banded, Chain Shirt, Padded, Ring, Studded: Light
• Plate, Scale, Splint: Medium

Strength Modifier

• 3 or less) -35 lbs
• 4-5) -25 lbs
• 6-7) -15 lbs
• 8-11) none
• 12-13) +10 lbs
• 14-15) +20 lbs
• 16) +35 lbs
• 17) +50 lbs
• 18) +75 lbs

Alignment

• Good/Evil and Law/Chaos

Advancement

• There are no class or race level limitations.
• It takes 1d4+1 weeks spent training with a mentor, manual, or valuable context to realize a new level.
  • This may require money, gifts, reputation, etc to gain access.